"Whoa, I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Tama said, leaning away from the foreign sailor that currently had him in his grip. He held his hands up in surrender, but that didn't deter the man, who looked bent on punching a dent in his face; he had grabbed Tama by the necklace with one hand and the other was wound back, fingers curled into a fist.
The man shouted at him and Tama flinched and shut his eyes as spittle hit his face. Then he cracked an eye open when the man was done, flashed a nervous smile, and gave a helpless shrug. "I...I'm sorry! I don't understand what you're--"
Tama yelped as the man shook him hard and he threw his hands up again, wings fluttering behind him, afraid of being punched. Oh spirits, it would be nice if he had the faintest idea what had gotten the man all upset, but there was a clear language barrier here, and he had no idea what he could have possibly done to upset him! He hadn't done anything! He looked up at the man again and then shot a panicked look around the area. The man's shouting had drawn a small crowd, and he searched those curious faces for a friendly one, someone that would help him. Because at this point, he was starting to believe the man was crazed!
A jerk on his necklace got his attention and he stared up into the man's face. "Uh...I...yes. I see you're very upset! Clearly! But...but uh..." He swallowed hard, and felt gingerly at his neck, at the man's clutching fingers. Maybe if he spoke very slowly?
"I. Don't. Understand. Yoreiqi? Do you speak--ugh, of course you don't! Does anyone speak Yoreiqi?!" He shouted the last part, looking out to the crowd, but all he saw were foreign faces.
And he wasn't the only one growing frustrated. The man was clearly losing whatever frail patience he'd had.
With a snarl, the burly man jerked him forward and brought their faces very close together, and mimicked him, speaking very slowly and deliberately. Then, with a sharp glower, he thrust his arm out and pointed.
Wide-eyed, Tama followed his finger to where a young woman was standing, a foreign girl with braided red hair and spots on her skin. The same girl he had been with earlier that afternoon. She blushed when their eyes met and looked away.
Brow furrowing, Tama looked back up at the man. He tilted his head, hoping to convey just how confused he felt. "I...what?"
Apparently that was the wrong answer, because the man roared something and shook him again.